The present invention relates to a technique that displays a user interface to enable operation of a device.
In Window 95 and Window NT that are operating systems manufactured by Microsoft Corporation, for example, a user locates a mouse cursor onto an icon of a printer folder, which is displayed on a screen of a monitor connecting with a computer, with a mouse and double clicks a mouse button. The double-click newly opens a window of the printer folder on the screen and enables icons representing a plurality of accessible printers connecting with the computer directly or via a network to be displayed in the window. The user then locates the mouse cursor onto an icon of desired image data separately displayed on the screen with the mouse, drags the icon, and drops the dragged icon onto an icon of a desired printer among the displayed icons representing the plurality of printers. This drag and drop action gives an instruction to the computer to start printing the desired image data with the printer.
The prior art technique, however, does not practically provide a user interface as discussed above with regard to devices other than printers. When the user requires data transmission between an arbitrary set of devices, the prior art technique should implement the data transmission via an application software that processes data. This is extremely inconvenient.
The object of the present invention is thus to solve the problems of the prior art technique and to provide a device controller, a method of displaying a user interface, and a recording medium for displaying a user interface, which ensures the user good usability and operatability when the user requires some operation between an arbitrary set of devices.
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a first device controller that is capable of controlling at least one first device included in a first category and at least one second device included in a second category. The first device controller includes: an input unit that inputs an external instruction; and a user interface display control unit that causes a first category symbol corresponding to the first category and a second category symbol corresponding to the second category to be displayed on a screen of a display unit. The user interface display control unit causes a first device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one first device included in the first category and a second device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the second category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen, in response to an external instruction that is input via the input unit to associate the displayed first category symbol with the displayed second category symbol.
The present invention is also directed to a first method of displaying a user interface on a screen of a display unit to enable operation of at least one first device included in a first category and at least one second device included in a second category. The first method includes the steps of: (a) causing a first category symbol corresponding to the first category and a second category symbol corresponding to the second category to be displayed on the screen of the display unit; and (b) causing a first device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one first device included in the first category and a second device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the second category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen, in response to an instruction to associate the first category symbol with the second category symbol.
In the first device controller and the corresponding first method of displaying a user interface, when the user gives an instruction to associate the first category symbol corresponding to the first category with the second category symbol corresponding to the second category, which are both displayed on the screen of the display unit, first device symbols corresponding to the respective first devices included in the first category and second device symbols corresponding to the respective second devices included in the second category are displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in the first area and in the second area on the screen.
The first device controller or the corresponding first method of displaying a user interface enables the device symbols representing the devices included in the first category and the device symbols representing the devices included in the second category to be displayed simultaneously, when the user requires, for example, data transmission between a desired device included in the first category and another desired device included in the second category. This arrangement enables the user to readily find device symbols representing the desired device included in the first category and the another desired device included in the second category. The user thus readily gives an instruction to start data transmission by associating these device symbols with each other through a mouse operation.
In the specification hereof, the devices represent not only physical devices, such as scanners and printers, but part of the functions attained by the physical devices and software that attains the functions equivalent to those of the physical devices (for example, electronic mail and image processing). The device symbols, the category symbols, and data symbols discussed below may be icons that are pictorial representations of devices, categories, and data, as well as any other user-recognizable representations that can be displayed on the screen, such as letters, figures, symbols, codes, colors corresponding to the devices, categories, and data.
In accordance with one preferable application of the first device controller of the present invention, the user interface display control unit, in response to an external instruction that is input via the input unit to select a desired device symbol out of the displayed first device symbols, causes a data symbol corresponding to each of data kept in a specific first device defined by the desired device symbol, if there is any data in the specific first device, to be displayed in either one of the first area and a third area that is different from the first area on the screen.
When the user gives an instruction to select a desired device symbol among the first device symbols, data symbols corresponding to data kept in a specific device defined by the desired device symbol are displayed, if there is any data in the specific device. This arrangement enables the user to readily find data kept in the device. The data symbol may be displayed in the first area, where the first device symbols are displayed, or in a third area that is different from the first area.
The present invention is further directed to a second-device controller that is capable of controlling a first device and at least one second device included in a specific category. The second device controller includes: an input unit that inputs an external instruction; and a user interface display control unit that causes a first device symbol corresponding to the first device and a category symbol corresponding to the specific category to be displayed on a screen of a display unit. The user interface display control unit causes a data symbol corresponding to each of data kept in the first device, if there is any data in the first device, and a device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the specific category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen, in response to an external instruction that is input via the input unit to associate the displayed first device symbol with the displayed category symbol.
The present invention is also directed to a second method of displaying a user interface on a screen of a display unit to enable operation of a first device and at least one second device included in a specific category. The second method includes the steps of: (a) causing a first device symbol corresponding to the first device and a category symbol corresponding to the specific category to be displayed on the screen of the display unit; and (b) causing a data symbol corresponding to each of data kept in the first device, if there is any data in the first device, and a device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the specific category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen, in response to an instruction to associate the displayed first device symbol with the displayed category symbol.
In the second device controller and the corresponding second method of displaying a user interface, when the user gives an instruction to associate the first device symbol corresponding to the first device with the category symbol corresponding to the specific category, which are both displayed on the screen of the display unit, data symbols corresponding to the respective data kept in the first device and device symbols corresponding to the respective second devices included in the specific category are displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in the first area and in the second area on the screen.
The second device controller or the corresponding second method of displaying a user interface enables the data symbols representing the data kept in a certain first device and the device symbols representing the devices included in the specific category to be displayed simultaneously, when the user wants to transmit the data kept in the certain first device to a desired device included in the specific category. This arrangement enables the user to readily find a data symbol corresponding to desired data, which is to be transferred, and a device symbol corresponding to the desired device, which is to receive the transferred data. The user thus readily gives an instruction to start data transmission by associating the data symbol with the device symbol through a mouse operation.
In the first or the second device controller of the present invention, it is preferable that one of the first device and the second device is an input device that is capable of at least inputting information, and the other is an output device that is capable of at least outputting information.
Data is transmitted from the input device to the output device. In the specification hereof, the input device represents a device that is capable of at least inputting information, and the output device represents a device that is capable of at least outputting information. When an intermediate device that performs intermediate processing is capable of at least inputting information, the intermediate device is regarded as an input device. When the intermediate device is capable of at least outputting information, the intermediate device is regarded as an output device. Namely the intermediate device may be an input device or an output device.
The present invention is also directed to a first computer-readable recording medium in which a specific computer program is recorded. The specific computer program causes a user interface to be displayed on a screen of a display unit connecting with a computer. The user interface enables operation of at least one first device included in a first category and at least one second device included in a second category. The specific computer program causes the computer to attain the functions of: causing a first category symbol corresponding to the first category and a second category symbol corresponding to the second category to be displayed on the screen of the display unit; and causing a first device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one first device included in the first category and a second device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the second category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen, in response to an external instruction that is input into the computer to associate the first category symbol with the second category symbol.
The computer executes the specific computer program recorded in the first recording medium, so as to attain the functions equivalent to those of the user interface display control unit of the first device controller. Namely the first recording medium exerts the similar effects to those of the first device controller.
The present invention is further directed to a second computer-readable recording medium in which a specific computer program is recorded. The specific computer program causes a user interface to be displayed on a screen of a display unit connecting with a computer. The user interface enables operation of a first device and at least one second device included in a specific category. The specific computer program causes the computer to attain the functions of: causing a first device symbol corresponding to the first device and a category symbol corresponding to the specific category to be displayed on the screen of the display unit; and causing a data symbol corresponding to each of data kept in the first device, if there is any data in the first device, and a device symbol corresponding to each of the at least one second device included in the specific category to be displayed substantially simultaneously but separately in a first area and in a second area on the screen of the display unit, in response to an external instruction that is input into the computer to associate the displayed first device symbol with the displayed category symbol.
The computer executes the specific computer program recorded in the second recording medium, so as to attain the functions equivalent to those of the user interface display control unit of the second device controller. Namely the second recording medium exerts the similar effects to those of the second device controller.